FBI anti-terrorism expert: TSA is useless

The TSA is a federal jobs program. They take money from ticket fares, with a promise of security, pay inept drones more than they are worth, and grope us in areas that would constitute rape in every state in the union. For their criminal behavior, the employees of the TSA are paid far more than they are worth, given union protections and government retirement plans. Quite a wealth transfer system. We get raped in more ways than one.

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

-H. L. Mencken

Indeed, citizen harrassment is what its come down to, and its laughable for anyone to think we are any safer today...paranoia is good for somebody's business. I should have invested in that ;)

We need to figure out someway for all the TSA monies to go to the FAA to fund NextGen and forget all the user fees.....

It's just hard for me to believe that the threat to aviation is all that significant anymore; with the advent of sealed cockpits, a larger air marshal program, and passenger and crew awareness. At this point all we are doing is harrassing the citizens.

Keep the X-ray scanners for bags, and replace the TSA with national guard troops and M-16's.

Doh.... Like I needed a news article to tell me this!

I'd bet my $$$, That the Pre 9-11 security, found more items, than what has been found since. For a federal agent, to show his ID and then be told he has to "pass through or surrender a knife" is crazy ... An FBI agent would have had had more of a background check, than any TSA personnel ... Let's have the FBI over see airport security.

Take the train, I did. Nice people, great food, no baggage fees, no seatbelts, and I actually felt refreshed when I picked up my rental car. Oh yeah, 2 round trip tickets from FTW to MKE for under $500

A couple years back I was told that my shaving cream exceeded the 100 ml limit, so it was taken from me and tossed into a large plastic barrel of of creams and lotions and shampoo that had been "liberated" from the many passengers preceding me.

When through, I happened to ask how they were planning to dispose of all those products.

The security supervisor proudly boasted that they normally donate these items to women's shelters and seniors' homes.

Naturally I then asked him if they should be sending liquids presumed to be explosive, toxic, or misrepresented to unsuspecting hospices and shelters. This was acknowledged with silence, and a sweep of the hand toward the gate area...... meaning: shut up, let's move on here, you are free to go.

Suspicions confirmed. Small wonder that many of us regard airport screening to be mostly "security theatre" Simply an exercise in optics and nothing beyond.

The problem with airport security in the U.S. is that members of the TSA are in the public service field, which picks from the same stratum of civilians that work as DPS personnel, fry-cooks in fast-food joints, and meter maids. We need a serious, trained task force to combat the terrorist threats to civil aviation AT the airport, not just the brave men and women who go to fight these threats abroad.

No surprise. It further reinforces the fact that the only thing the federal government does well is waste money.

I have been flying commercially for over twenty years. I picked my mom up at PHI airport last night and felt like the rest of the people, like sheep. Today I flew myself to WWD from N14 and felt great because I didn`t have to be treated like a foreigner in my own country.

We are all Fluked

It is about time someone speaks up. This is utterly the most retarded organization hiring misfits and unemployable. One day this clutchy department will be abolished. I do not mind security but not with the incompent TSA.

TSA is nothing more than a dog and pony show for the uninformed public, from the line staff to supervisors they are totally worthless.

TSA is a symptom. It is the most visible arm of an unecessary Federal Dept. generated by a group of 545 people who have no direction from the other 311,000,000 people who have chosen them to make decisions that effect there daily life. During the past quarter century, no presidential election has been won by more than ten million ballots cast. Yet every federal election during that time period had at least one hundred million people of voting age who did not bother to vote! SO WHO'S FAULT IS IT REALLY? Any country can survive having chosen a fool as their leader. But, history has shown time and time again that a nation of fools is surely doomed.

TSA stands for Thousands Standing Around
Big waste of taxpayers money leave airport
Security to the law enforcement airport police
And FBI

I find the link and reference to the "report" to be somewhat suspect insofar as the details appears to have extracted by the author of the article in the link to "boingboing.net". The "article" also reads more like an opinion column than a direct reference to the "report". It very well may be that a FBI or ex-FBI agent penned the report and may have roasted the TSA in it but without the details of who commissioned the report and dare I say again the entire contents of the report I say that on the surface we have another sensationalistic media story beating that poor old staggering horse. Are there problems with TSA or any other security screening agencies used in other nation’s airports? Yes. Is there waste? Yes. But are they totally impotent? I doubt that. Is there room for improvement? Always.

I think the generalizations espoused in the "article" and the learned posters herein are patently irresponsible. Change "TSA" for "local PD" or "local FD" or "local hospital" even and the same sorts of things are being said. Where do we draw the line? In aviation as pilots, crew, engineers and yes - security we often are faced with less than perfect conditions and we have to strive to make it better on the fly and in the long term, mitigate the risks/hazards now and in the future and solve the problems immediately and tomorrow. I see a lot of posts here identifying problems but no real world solutions... Just saying. It would be interesting to know how many of the "professional problem identifiers" on here work in aviation let alone its ancillary community.

As one poster before me said - and I have very frequently agreed with, "Send 'em all home and let's see how safe it is to fly"

It doesn't take a former FBI agent to tell that the TSA is useless, but the expert validation is nice. I remember going on a trip and put sunscreen in as a last-minute item to pack (so I threw it in my carry on bag). Well, this was way over their 3 oz liquid tolerance, which created a commotion of lights and beeping from the machine. Long story short, the "dangerous" sunscreen was thrown away and I had to go through security for a second time.

From the start I thought of TSA as just another government bureaucracy designed to increase federal employment.
TSA should be blown up, all agents/screeners fired and made to reapply for their jobs.
Only former law enforcement or those with BLET training need apply.
Also, all TSA employees must have at least an Associates degree in criminology or be in school working toward that degree or agree as a pre requisite to employment to attend college to get their degree.
The rules need to be streamlined and simplified.

Like the robot on Lost in Space: If in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and shout. I am always amazed that the ( clueless? ) media trot out the passenger who flies once a decade, who (without one ioda of system capability) states how safe they feel and all the hassle is worthwhile.

I have been saying this for so long. It is a joke and a hassle and my job involves a lot of traveling so I have to deal with those bozo's a lot.

... And then why not have our US Military, "who go to fight these threats abroad" .. stay home and operate airport security ? There was once a time in Germany, (not sure about today) the military there did that.

This program was created as a knee jerk reaction through the urging of most members of Congress, not just the Republicans. The Democrats saw it as a way to get more votes from the great unwashed who came over from low paying jobs to a pay raise and union protection.

0 attacks stopped by the TSA since 9/11. Ron Paul 2012. All I'm saying.

A well-known key to all law enforcement is citizen support, cooperation and involvement and while there is a fundamental need for air-travel diligent security and a staff to do it, to me it is the non-fundamental set up of TSA that is the cause of it's failure. Post 9-11 federalization of airport security made excellent sense at the time. And there are plenty of similar job roles that have been successfully federalized, though rarely of such size. However, somewhere in the process of forming TSA some senior government official, perhaps at the cabin ate level, imbued the TSA with an inflated ego, law-enforcement style uniforms and incredibly badges, without anything like federal police qualifications and training. And in too many daily instances TSA employees are over zealous in the performance of their job roles, acting beyond their authority and way beyond their qualifications and training, so that, no matter how well-meaning they may be, they are way out of their league. The sum total effect is that even the most law abiding and corporative air travelers are hard put to support the conduct of TSA which we ourselves observe in the first person.and the result is that TSA, regardless of the fundamental need for what it tries to do, is ineffective. I say take away their badges for starters and just have proper federal and/or local law enforcement in close proximity. I think that the biggest of issues with TSA, as I read here and sense the widespread frustration, is TSA and it's enablers' attitude, it's like they are ego-driven bullies without sufficient training and qualifications and attitude to command respect -- change their attitude, taking badges away is a great start and signal, and enlist the assistance, eyes and ears, of those most knowledgable and likely to notice deviations from the norm, the frequent flying citizens......and we will all work together for our common safety and security with which we all agree. Don't play games and subject us to ineffective equipment, nor "officers" whose badge is substituted door common sense. Even the best security plan is no substitute for common sense!

If a politician(or group of them) pulls the plug on the TSA and an act of terror occurs, it would spell game over for their political career. The TSA isn't going anywhere. My $0.02

More confirmation of what we already knew. When will the governing bodies catch on? Oh, I forgot they don't live in the real world.

Wayne, in that case I think most of America could find a mutual respect situation far above the existing one with TSA. I just am not convinced of the threat to aviation being what it once was.

It's all designed to create the illusion that you are safe. TSA is a joke, a waste of money and another way to grow government.

The TSA is useless??? Nawww...

Who woulda thunk it?

This is news?? Anyone surprised? Will anything change? I didn't think so.

As for me I say TSA serves a useful purpose. I was checking in at a large airport here on theb leftn side of the states, and saw TSA relieve a potential passenger of a cheese knife. Not the wire kind, the curved kind with the "V" notch in the end. This was the same airport that the metal dectector detected the medical clamps inside of me that hold my innards together. Yeah I feel comfortable with it. Carry on TSA.

I flew out of New Orleans after being at the NBAA regional at Lakefront airport. I was traveling with a coworker, and when I set off the metal detector, he and I were the only ones that seemed to notice or care. It was crazy, and they didn't ask me to re-scan or anything...

Ty. You arte a smart guy and right on. If you run I will vote for you for President.

vive le tsa

Rather than berate the organization, look to the bureaucrats who want the organization to fail for their own monetary gain. These millionaires want still more money in their pockets at the expense of air safety. The fault is with those who set up the organization to be inept and hopefully have it fail so they can gain financially by hiring their monetarily friendly people.

But, you may want top keep in mind that our airlines and airports are the safest in the world. Also, you do not need to know the type of gun, or type of explosives, you just need to know they bhave them. I don't see any of you trying to detect weapons on people...

Look, these are deterrents and will prevent the "stupids" of the world, you hope, but there will always be someone who is alittle bit smarter and have access to better resources to pull off a plot. You will never completely avoid acts unless you want to spend billions well beyond current expenditures. To be frank, we live in a society which will not permitt what really needs to happen and as such, the feds have to work around these facts. What TSA does now should be proof of that.

I agree with the article because I remembered when I was ordered to go through the x-ray scan and after going through I was ordered to stripe down to my underwear, when I was wearing only a pair of shorts, sneakers, t-shirt and a light spring jacket. TSA is nothing but a middle class security guards with federal government benefits.

Pretty much what the entire nation has been saying and complaining about but what the hey! At least the unemployment rate is down a bit even if they are all idiots. They aren't standing in a unemployment or food stamp line.

You are, undoubtably, aware of the effects on air travel following attempts by the 'shoe bomber' and the 'underwear bomber'. What will be the pre-screening scenario if the next incident involves attempts by a 'suppository bomber'?

TSA= Totally Sucks A$$

Incompetent

especially here @ bwi they're all useless.

I can't believe the class of people that work for TSA. Wal-Mart wouldn't hire them!

they're all uneducated.

This has not been a secret for those of us in the know for years!

Goverment are wasting money for them.

I agree with hte comments. TSA is a government jobs program and I don't think the government can get anything right.

Everything the Government does is useless.

Make the speed limits for certain vehicles on certain lanes of certain highways 120 MPH.(Sport sedans and coupes, and NOT high centering vehicles such as SUV's and trucks) Today's vehicles are more than ready for this, and I'd even pay an extra toll to use it. Think of how many more people would drive to the 300 to 500 mile range at that point instead of fly regional? Best part - no need to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to build high speed rail lines. The tolls for the optional fast lane would more than pay for the required changes to highways.

Bozo's....hmmmm, well now, let's send the TSA employees home for a month, post a PUBLIC Notice, then everyone will be so happy! UNTIL! yeah that's right UNTIL, everyone will start complaining about something else, and all of a sudden....someone hijacks another plane and none of you want to take responsibility for getting rid of the TSA Employees. Not a single one of you will! If you travel a lot, you SHOULD know what and how to pack, when to be at the airport, what papers you can fill out to make things move along faster. Take Some responsibility for yourselves and travel will move a lot smoother. As for the FBI guy, anyone can get a badge, forgers make fake documents just to test security. You have your rules, we have ours. You are not about to let me in a crime scene without proper documentation, you aren't getting on a plane with a knife!

I had a conversation wtih a police officer in the Charlotte, NC airport a couple years ago. My comment was about the tools, knives etc, used to prepare food in the restaurants in the secure area. There is no check to verify no items have been taken for use elsewhere He agreed TSA was all for show. They intimidate people into submission. The intimidation may keep some terrorist out. Oh, don't try to take play dough on board.

OH MY GOD... THE TSA IS USELESS??? YOU DON'T SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TSA is a Bush Administration mistake turned into an Obama Administration disaster. Duh! It's the U.S. Government at work. What the hell do you expect?

Again I stress. We have more protection from terrorist than any other country. The TSA is not useless- as it deters terrorist-to protect us. Get rid of it and see what happens. 65,000 employees- because thats alot of area to cover- and you still can not cover it all. And do you know how much we have spent on people without health insurance since 2002. WAY MORE! So quit complaining- there job is hard enough.

I hate to admit it, but I agree with the TSA agent not allowing the FBI agent to carry a knife on board, even though he had a semi-auto pistol. The firearm is FBI-issue, and if the agent fails to turn up with it after his flight, he's officially negligent, and possible a suspect. On the other hand, he can leave the knife under a sink in a restroom for an accomplice to pick up later. Voila, a weapon in the hands of a bad guy behind security.

TSA = Thousands Standing Around, what else can you say, that sums it up.

Je suis belge, d'origine marocaine,je me suis rendu au etat unis avec ma famille ,et je peu vous dire que les gens de l'immigration (tsa) font chier leurs monde.J'ai du attendre plus de 1h30 pour rien ,avant qu'il me laisse entrer en territoire us.

Excusez moi Monsieur B/B, but my French is not so good and I do not understand what you have written ? Thank You

Soooo, what do you want? Get rid of TSA and have nothing? Let passengers board without any kind of screening process? That would be reals smart man. Believe me, to undermind an entire orginization because of your ignorance, your no expert. FBI or otherwise. Do yo think civilian screening would be better? Get rid of TSA and go back to that? I was a supervisor during "civilian screening" working for a company at a major airport. Believe me you do not want to go back to that. I also spent 21 years as a criminal investigator and have been through TSA screening. I would fly any time any where with the process we have today. You sir, are no professional making a statement TSA Is Usless. What kind of message does that send to our enemies? THINK!

Tisk, Tisk,...has anyone of you applied for a TSA job. Very thorough checks, more than the airline pilot flying you. Veterens are sought. Just think, if you are raped, you can't get an abortion now